Computer Repair: Where does this wire go!?

[Realitycrash]

When I moved my rig, I accidentally knocked out some wire from its socket. After fiddling around at random with the hardware, it suddenly started when the wire touched the chassi. I believe it might be supposed to be connected to the start-button, as one end is connected to the mother-board, and the other ends in a small, blinking diode, the only such in the entire computer. I've tried fiddling around with other wires, but that doesn't do anything, so I think it's this one.


Connected to motherboard:

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Blinks in the dark!

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Loose blinking diode.

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Computer is running fine after what appears to be the initial 'spark' (it's running now), but every time I want to restart it I have to fiddle around with the wire until some random connection is made. Could someone please tell me where it is supposed to go?

 

[AWAR]

You have to be a little more clear as I don't really understand. The cable in the first picture is probably a USB header cable for your front chassis ports.

 

[Realitycrash]

You have to be a little more clear as I don't really understand. The cable in the first picture is probably a USB header cable for your front chassis ports.

What is it that you want me to clarify?

 

[RikuoAmero]

Since you clearly are not familiar with the interiors of computers, DO NOT fiddle with the wires. Ask around, you're bound to know someone who is. Messing with wires can be bad. At best, nothing happens. At worst, you either electrocute yourself or fry your motherboard and other components. Now, going by your first picture (is it the green or blue ended cable?), I concur with AWAR, that looks to be a USB header. If so...I can tell you honestly, there should NOT be a light coming from it. I mean at all. No-one makes a USB header that lights up. Yes, there can be lights scattered around a motherboard or on a graphics/sound card or on your fans, but not on a header.

EDIT: Having had a closer look at your last picture, I can conclude it is NOT connected to your case's power button. That power button is a very small and slender wire, what you have pictured looks to me to either be the USB header or more than likely, your CPU power cable. If it were a USB header, it would have absolutely nothing at all to do with your computer turning on or not. If you absolutely do have to touch it, for god's sake, turn off your computer, plug it out and wait a minute or two. Then keep one hand on any metal part of your case (not plastic, metal). This is to minimize the risk of electric shock, and to discharge any static electricity, so as not to fry your motherboard.

EDIT2: Re-reading exactly what you wrote, I just want you to clarify. There is already one end securely connected to the motherboard, but the other end, the one with the light...you do what with it? Do you actually let it get in direct contact with the chassis? If so, STOP. DO NOT DO THAT. If that is what you're doing, I don't know how you haven't destroyed your computer already. As I said up above, ask around for someone who's built computers, they'll be able to sort it out.

 

[OneCatch]

I have to fiddle around with the wire until some random connection is made. Could someone please tell me where it is supposed to go?

Assuming a few things here, so if I'm wrong please disregard.

Assuming that the loose cable is still attached to the motherboard at one end, and dangling loose on the other.
Also that the cable doesn't have anything splitting off from it
And that the power button itself on the front of the case isn't working any more.

If so, it's possible that the loose end is actually the switch from the power button itself.
I reckon that when you fiddle around it actually depresses the switch and turns the pc on (rather than shorting anything), and the LED is the one that lights up your power button [http://0.tqn.com/d/pcsupport/1/0/k/3/-/-/power-button-400.jpg] on the front. I can't be sure from the pics that you posted though.
To check, turn the computer off, unplug it, and carefully have a closer look at that cable. If I'm right, it'll look something like this:

Spoiler

This page (though unrelated) does have some info on roughly where the power button is located within the chasis, and should give you an idea of how to thread the button back in.

http://coolexpletive.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/how-to-replace-your-pcs-power-button.html

 

[Realitycrash]

I have to fiddle around with the wire until some random connection is made. Could someone please tell me where it is supposed to go?

Assuming a few things here, so if I'm wrong please disregard.

Assuming that the loose cable is still attached to the motherboard at one end, and dangling loose on the other.
Also that the cable doesn't have anything splitting off from it
And that the power button itself on the front of the case isn't working any more.

If so, it's possible that the loose end is actually the switch from the power button itself.
I reckon that when you fiddle around it actually depresses the switch and turns the pc on (rather than shorting anything), and the LED is the one that lights up your power button [http://0.tqn.com/d/pcsupport/1/0/k/3/-/-/power-button-400.jpg] on the front. I can't be sure from the pics that you posted though.
To check, turn the computer off, unplug it, and carefully have a closer look at that cable. If I'm right, it'll look something like this:

Spoiler

This page (though unrelated) does have some info on roughly where the power button is located within the chasis, and should give you an idea of how to thread the button back in.



http://coolexpletive.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/how-to-replace-your-pcs-power-button.html

Yes, that is how the cable looks, and the power-button no longer lights up either (due to the LED-light not being attached to it, I assume). The problem is that to reach the power-button I might have to remove the hard-drive and disk-drive, since it is nestled neatly in a corner under them.

Edit: actually, the blinking led-light that isn't attached to the mother-board looks like the part of the picture which IS NOT circled with red (that I assume you did yourself in paint). Just making it clear.

 

[Realitycrash]

EDIT2: Re-reading exactly what you wrote, I just want you to clarify. There is already one end securely connected to the motherboard, but the other end, the one with the light...you do what with it? Do you actually let it get in direct contact with the chassis? If so, STOP. DO NOT DO THAT. If that is what you're doing, I don't know how you haven't destroyed your computer already. As I said up above, ask around for someone who's built computers, they'll be able to sort it out.

Fair enough, but how many cables do actually have small, blinking led-lights at their end? I'll try to get better pictures when I get home

 

[OneCatch]

I have to fiddle around with the wire until some random connection is made. Could someone please tell me where it is supposed to go?

Assuming a few things here, so if I'm wrong please disregard.

Assuming that the loose cable is still attached to the motherboard at one end, and dangling loose on the other.
Also that the cable doesn't have anything splitting off from it
And that the power button itself on the front of the case isn't working any more.

If so, it's possible that the loose end is actually the switch from the power button itself.
I reckon that when you fiddle around it actually depresses the switch and turns the pc on (rather than shorting anything), and the LED is the one that lights up your power button [http://0.tqn.com/d/pcsupport/1/0/k/3/-/-/power-button-400.jpg] on the front. I can't be sure from the pics that you posted though.
To check, turn the computer off, unplug it, and carefully have a closer look at that cable. If I'm right, it'll look something like this:

Spoiler

This page (though unrelated) does have some info on roughly where the power button is located within the chasis, and should give you an idea of how to thread the button back in.

http://coolexpletive.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/how-to-replace-your-pcs-power-button.html

Yes, that is how the cable looks, and the power-button no longer lights up either (due to the LED-light not being attached to it, I assume). The problem is that to reach the power-button I might have to remove the hard-drive and disk-drive, since it is nestled neatly in a corner under them.

If your case has a removable fascia plate then it might be worth removing that and seeing if that makes it possible to reattach without removing the drives.
For example, mine pops off like this:

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If you do end up having to remove the drives, just turn everything off first, unplug the cables from the drives, make sure they aren't screwed in, then remove them carefully. Be careful you don't bash the motherboard/heatsink/RAM, especially if removing the hard drive. CD/DVD drives should slide out the front, which makes things a little safer.

Edit: Out of interest, do you have a reset button (or anything else) next to the power button on your case?

EDIT: In light of your edit to the reply, it's more likely that the loose end contains a few headers including the power - possibly a reset button or hard drive activity indicator or something.
Do any of them have any writing on them?
And what model of case do you have?